ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) is conducting a detailed investigation to substantiate its earlier findings that smog, more commonly referred to as fog in Punjab, is caused by excessive burning of coal by India’s thermal power plants.

According to Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, the economic losses due to fog during December and January amounted to over Rs25 billion per annum.

The Director-General of Suparco, Air Commodore (retd) Arshad Siraj, told Dawn that a three-year study had been launched to further investigate the sources of pollutants causing smog in Punjab and their impact on economy and health.

Suparco project documents show that the previous study had recommended a more extensive investigation of the chemistry and transport processes of the pollutants causing the fog, which was necessary to delineate emission sources and develop control strategies.

Widespread smog is witnessed mostly in Punjab during winter season and the lack of rain worsens the situation as mist holds pollutants in suspension in lower strata of atmosphere.

The incidence of smog, which is a cocktail of toxic gases and particulates in northern and central Punjab in winter, has not only caused economic losses but has led to increase in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as increased cardiac arrest rates.

It also affects agriculture and local climate and badly disturbs normal life.

An earlier study by Suparco had revealed that fog in Pakistan was being caused by excessive fossil fuel combustion (mainly coal) in India’s north-eastern region.

According to the study excessively high sulphate (varying from 49.8 to 141 mg/m3) and nitrate (from 3 to 74.5 mg/m3) concentrations were observed during the fog, which are emitted by combustion of fossil fuel. Exceptionally high trace element aerosol concentrations, including selenium, arsenic and antimony, were also observed which were again because of fossil fuel.

Tracer study showed that air parcels contributing to the Lahore fog originated from approximately 580 kilometres away to the south.

The remote sensing satellite data taken from Meteosat, NOAA and Modis satellites showed that fog extended over 1,500 kilometres from north eastern India to north-eastern Pakistan and was a result of excessive coal burning in India.

Suparco officials told Dawn that these findings were informally shared with Indian experts on a number of occasions, but the Indian side was in state of denial. The Indians, they said, rather insisted that fog in Pakistan was the result of massive vehicular pollution in the country.

The officials said that once the findings confirmed the role of India’s thermal plants in causing smog in Punjab, the issue was likely to be taken up formally by the Pakistan government with India.

When contacted by Dawn to comment on the issue, Minister of State for Environment Malik Amin Aslam said once proven, the government would definitely take up the matter with India and ask it to cut emissions.